Image Source: Flickr/rodcasro

Globally, the average webpage loads at 6.3 megabits a second — a number referring to how many million bits of data can be moved in a second.

While 6.3 mbps is fast enough to watch a Netflix show or send an email, it's still pretty slow.

This is according to Massachusetts-based internet provider Akami Technologies, which studied how internet speeds stack up in countries around the world.

Every quarter, the company releases a report ranking countries by internet speed.

Here they are:

10. Finland

Image Source: AP/Lehtikuva, Martti Kainulainen

People in Finland use the internet at 17.7 Mbps on average, which is relatively fast.

In 2010, the country's Ministry of Transport and Communications offered every Finnish citizen at least a 1 Mbps internet connection.

That's not saying much: 1 Mbps will only allow you to send emails at a snail's pace, browse the web, and watch low-quality YouTube videos. It's too slow to really download or upload large files.

9. Czech Republic

Image Source: Flickr/Moyan_Brenn

The internet in the Czech Republic loads 17.8 Mbps on average, a 31% boost from last year. This speed is slightly above what most people in the US would consider average, letting you watch HD videos and surf the web without any kind of delay.

8. The Netherlands

Image Source: REUTERS/Michael Kooren

The Netherlands' average internet speed is 17.9 Mbps.

The country also boasts the highest percentage of households using the internet in the EU, according to a 2014 report.

7. Japan

Image Source: REUTERS/Toru Hanai

High-speed fiber optics (cables that enable faster internet) run throughout Japan, giving users an average internet speed of 18.2 Mbps. In other words, multiple people in a household can be on Netflix, playing video games, and browsing the web on different devices at the same time without any slowdowns.

Japan is one of several countries working on superfast 100 Gbps internet.

In the meantime, the Japanese provider So-net offers 2 gbps internet — twice as fast as Google Fiber — making it the world's fastest commercially available internet service.

6. Latvia

Image Source: Flickr/Nickaj Turner

Latvia's average internet speed is 18.3 Mbps, which is nearly three times faster than the global average.

5. Switzerland

Image Source: Shutterstock / Andreas Zerndl

The internet in Switzerland zooms at an average 18.7 Mbps, a 25% increase from last year.

4. Hong Kong

Image Source: Flickr / Loïc Lagarde

Hong Kong was the first country in the world to reach 60 Mbps in 2013. Today, its residents enjoy an average internet speed of 19.9 Mbps.

3. Sweden

Image Source: REUTERS/Pontus Lundahl/Scanpix Sweden

Sweden's internet races at an average of 20.6 Mbps, meaning most people rarely experience delays even if they have multiple applications running that take up a lot of bandwidth.

The country saw a 32% increase in speed since last year.

2. Norway

Image Source: Flickr/rodcasro

At 21.3 Mbps, Norway saw the largest growth (68%) in internet speed since last year compared to any other country in the top 10. At this speed, a computer could upload or download about five high-quality photos a second.

1. South Korea

Image Source: Flickr/Fahad0850

People in South Korea enjoy the fastest internet in the world, according to the Akami report. The country's average internet speed measures 29 Mbps, which is 4.6 times faster than the global average.

To put things in perspective, the average HD film is about 5,000 Mb. At 29 Mbps speed, a computer could download that in a little over two and a half minutes.

Although more than 80% of South Korean households have access to some of the world's fastest internet connections, they face usage restrictions. According to a 2015 report by the nonprofit Freedom House, many internet users deal with intense internet censorship in South Korea.

Qatar's current average internet speed is 7.4 Mbps according to testmy.net. Qatar's main internet provider is Ooredoo.

Let's hope that Qatar makes to this list by 2030 #QatarDeservesTheBest. Comment below and let us know your thoughts on this!

Source: Business Insider

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Abdullah Amir

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